Charles white



NITED- STATES PATnNT ()FFICE.

CHARLES WHITE, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE SOQ'II MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CAN-OPENEFL SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 273,416, dated March 6, 1883.

- Application filed October 11, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES WHITE, a citi- -zen of the United States, residing at Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can- Openers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an improved tool I3 for opening cans, and will first be described,

and then designated in the claims.

In the annexed drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the can-opener. Fig. 2 is an end view of a can, showing the mode of apr5 plying the opener. Fig. 3 is a side view of a can to which the opener is applied.

The letter-A designates the handle, made preferably of metal. At one end of the handle is an oblique'curved plate, B, having a flat surface, a, to rest on the can. This fiat surface serves as a guide for the cutter. Near the extremity of this plate is a lug, d, which projects laterally from the flat surface. This lug has the shape preferably of a round stud,

and serves as a fulcrum to rest on a side of the can at a right angle to that on which the flat surface or guide rests. At the angle of joinder of the guide-plate B and handle A is a boss or raised shoulder. E, having on the outside a flange,f. Thisfla'uge extends parallel with the shank part gof the handle, thus forming a groove. The shank h of the cutting-blade I is secured in the groove on the boss by means of a screw, Tn. The blade 3 5 curves from its shank to correspond with the oblique guide-plate, and the cutting-edge p confronts the fulcrum-lug, or, in other words, the fulcrum-lug projects in a direction crosswise of the edge of the blade. Figs. 2 and 3 0 of the drawings show the position of the opener on a can. The fiat surface a of the guide-plate rests against the end of the can, while'thefulcrum-lugd rests against the side which is at a right angle to the end. This lug, in the case 5 of a round can, bears against the flange q of the can-head, while the cutting blade enters the wall or body 1' of the can just below the flange. The cuttingedge, on the outer side,

10, of the blade, is beveled off toward the guideplate. As the wall and flange together constitute two thicknesses of tin, not only has the fulcrum-lug thereby a solid hearing, but the edge of the flange (1 serves as a sort of shearing edge, along which the blade cuts the wall, as shown at s. The cut edge t of the wall is turned outward, as shown in Fig. 3. In the operation of cutting open the can the point of the blade is forced through the can-wall close to the edge of the head -flange g, which surrounds the wall, and then the edge of the blade is forced from the inner side outward, whereby the headfiange is made to serve as one part of the shear, of which the blade is the other part. This oi'itward-turned out edge is an important advantage in the use of this opener, for the reason that no burr or roughness is left on the inner side of the wall of the can. Consequently when the end of thecan has been removed the solid contents maybe turned out readily. In thecase of meatssuch as lobster-the cans containing which are full of the solid contents, this is desirable, also in the case of standard or solid packed fruits.

The tool may also be employed to open sardine-boxes and the like.-

The tool comprises but two pieces-the handle, shank, guide, and lug cast in one piece, and the blade in the other. It is therefore very simple and cheap.

vIf preferred, a wood handle may be usedin- 8 stead of the metal one.

Having described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- A can-opener having acurved guide-plate which extends obliquely from the handle, a fulcrum-lug projecting laterally from the guiding-surface of said plate, and a curved blade extending obliquely and in the same direction as the guide-plateyas set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES WHITE.

Vitnesses:

JOHN E. MORRIS, EDW. F. MAGY. 

